Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-07-19

| has black setu, tue llliiitA NNAN"f -
Hungarian grass seed in the stores Is
mixed, but that should be selected
which has the highest percentage OF
black seed. German mlllet, u sown
verv thick, makesa tolerably good feed
for cattle and horses, though not equal,
think. to Hungarian, but for sheep
the Hungarian is much superior, on
account al it's tineness and greater
amount OF foliage.
"The seed, being small and light. re.
ouires very thoroughly prepared bed
TO secure its termination, aud The more
so since is sown in hot weather. 1t
is imperative that the land should he
we'll narrowed with tineIoathed har-
row. Ii the land is left rough and
cloddy some of the seeds will fall deep
into the cracks and never appear above
the surface, while Others will lodge ON
humps, be lightly covered, or not at all,
and dry out. They will come up scat
tering, and the resultant hay will be so
coarse as to be wholly unfit for sheep,
and decidedly unfit for horses and cat.
lie. The land must be narrowed until
il is well compacted, else there will he
air spaces left below the surface, which
will dry out in the summer heat. Then
the seed should be sown-one and II
half bushels to the acre is not two much
II the hay is for sheep; one bushel will
answer il for cattle--just before or after
a rain, and lightly narrowed in, not
brushed in, Tor brush win soon wear
out and go on its knees, leaving UNI
slightly streaks or seams. Last OF all,
let it be rolled very smooth, for there
will be no rod as in an old timothy
meadow to hold up the mower-kniia,
and il the land is uneven the knife will
be constantly cutting off the tops of
hillocks and getting gritty and dull.
some Farmers are in favor OF letting
Hungarian grass stand until the seed
is nearly quite ripe, but prefer to cut
it much greener than that-say when
tie heads are fairly in sight. What
may be gained in seed is more than lost
in foliage il it is lett to ripen. The Cali
foinia farmers are compelled 10 SOW
barley or wheat for hay, and they al
ways cut it green, because it is hay
hey want, not straw and grain. SO
With Hungarian grass.
"of course, when cut so green it will
equire thorough curing to prevent
in the NOV, and here is where
he beginner is liable to make his great.
st mistake. The large, succulen.
reads ought to lie in the sun two full
lays else they will mold, and the
heep will consume all the foliage ex
ept them, leaving the bottom OF the
ay-rack full of them, like so many
ieen, fuzzy caterpillers. Left so long
a the sun, of course the hay will look |
ather yellow, but is lar better this
han mo!dy. If cut aslate as Septem-
er the short days and heavy dews
ender it difficult to cure Hungarian
,rass well, and it is absolutely neces-
AIRY to let it have at least two DAYS of
1t is BETTER to sow it, ii pos.
'ible, by June LIST, to bring out the cut
ing earlier. Before the dew falls on
he second day it should be raked and
cooked up; but ii it seems very heavy
on the pitchfork and the juice comes
out when a wisp OF il is twisted in the
hands, it must be unlocked, spread out
say twice as thick as it grew on the
ground, and dried the third day, else
it will be almost certcin to mold in the
NOV. | prefer TO rake it the same d.
rection around the land that it was
mown, especially if it was lodged. In
this way the axe teeth are less liable
10 get fouled in the stubble. If the
swaths are very heavy they should be
carefully gone over with Il pitchfork
right after the mower and the thick
places shaken out, or a tedder may be
used If preferred.